The Joy of Teaching – Page 36 of 46

October 8, 2015
by Evan-Moor
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Academic Vocabulary: Giving Students an Academic Edge

Knowing academic vocabulary is essential for students to understand concepts across content areas and a reliable predictor of academic success! This post provides free sample lessons and tips for successfully teaching academic vocabulary.

See below for free downloads from Evan-Moor’s Daily Academic Vocabulary (grades 2–6):

Teacher overview – all levels Review these pages for research on vocabulary instruction, tips for successful vocabulary teaching, weekly walk-through, and tips on meeting the needs of English language learners.

Sample unit – grade 2

Sample unit – grade 3

Sample unit – grade 4

Sample unit – grade 5

Sample unit – grade 6

Other ideas to extend vocabulary learning:

Create a word wall

Add your academic vocabulary words for the day or week.
Students can brainstorm related words and add words using index cards or Post-it notes.

Use graphic organizers and drawings

Have students draw a picture or symbol or use graphic organizers, such as word maps, to represent the vocabulary word.

Create a vocabulary journal

Students should chart the words and their definitions as well as examples of each word to help them remember the words. They can do this using drawings, symbols, stories, or sentences.

Create a chant or song in small groups

Try this sample musical vocabulary lesson: “Music to Their Ears.”

Play vocabulary games

Headband guessing game: Write vocabulary words on construction-paper headbands. Students wear a headband (without seeing the word), and classmates provide clues and examples to help the student guess the word. You can also use a name tag sticker which can be placed on the student’s back.
Vocabulary Bingo game: Students place bingo chips on a square after hearing the word’s definition. (Free Bingo templates are available online.)

Read the research

Daily Academic Vocabulary combines direct instruction with speaking, listening, reading, and writing activities that reflect Marzano’s strategic process for teaching vocabulary. For more information, see:

ASCD Educational Leadership article: Six Steps to Better Vocabulary Instruction
White paper: How Daily Academic Vocabulary Supports Vocabulary Development

Please share your ideas for teaching academic vocabulary in the comments section.

Theresa Wooler has more than 10 years’ experience in K–6 classrooms as a parent volunteer and homeschool educator, has taught high school English, and is currently involved in education through Evan-Moor’s marketing communications team.

September 30, 2015
by Evan-Moor
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Pack a Power Lunch

Your beginning-of-the-school-year exuberance about packing your child’s lunch may fizzle out if you have a picky eater.

If your child is a picky eater, enlist his or her help. Invite your child to pick one food from each of the four main food groups: one fruit, one vegetable, one protein-rich food, and one starchy or complex carbohydrate-rich food. Add a healthy “drink pick” and, for a special treat, a “fun pick.”

Here are six simple ways to incorporate these “picks” into your child’s lunch sack:

Fruit pick

Place a bowl full of fruit on your kitchen counter and let your child choose which one he or she will add to tomorrow’s lunch sack.

Vegetable pick

Ask your child which veggies she likes, or better yet, have her choose some of her favorites while at the grocery store. Kids prefer veggies (and fruit) cut into smaller pieces because they look less intimidating. Consider packing colorful, bite-sized vegetables with a small container of hummus, ranch dressing, or other low-fat dip, and your child is sure to start munching more.

Protein-rich pick

There are so many protein-rich food choices to choose from. Some of our favorites include tuna, peanut butter, low-fat string cheese, yogurt, and beans and lentils. Help your child find his favorites.

Complex carbohydrate-rich pick

The sandwich (or at least the bread it contains) is probably the quintessential packed-lunch complex carbohydrate–rich pick. Other examples of complex carbohydrate-rich picks include pasta or even cereal, a tortilla wrap, or veggie or bean soup.

Drink pick

Milk can often be purchased at school, while a fruit spritzer can be made at home (three parts juice to one part sparkling water) and toted to school in a thermos. Fruit drinks, however, are discouraged since they are nothing more than refined sugar.

Fun pick

Lunch is so much sweeter when your child opens his or her lunch box to find a fun surprise. Consider adding a love note, poem, joke, riddle, drawing, or brainteaser. Sports clips and comics are also a great addition to encourage reading in the younger age groups.

Nutrition nugget

Consider planning ahead—grocery shop, cut veggies and fruit, have a variety of sliced luncheon meats and/or cheeses on hand, keep an extra loaf of bread in the freezer for emergencies, collect a stash of fun riddles and jokes from books or online sources. You get the idea. A little pre-planning will pay huge dividends (in the form of a healthy lunch that your child will eat), especially on those hectic mornings when you’re dashing to get out the door.

Kathleen & Lorna
Co-authors of Eating for A’s

Lorna Williams, MPH, RD, and Kathleen Dunn, MPH, RD, are registered dietitians who have been collaborating on health and nutrition projects for over 20 years. Together, they launched EatingFor.com, a fun and educational website focusing on child and teen nutrition, and co-authored Eating for A’s: A month-by-month nutrition and lifestyle guide to help raise smarter kids.

September 24, 2015
by Evan-Moor
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Estimation Station Ideas

Do you use an estimation station in your weekly learning opportunities?

I have to say that this is one of the most fun things for my children. Each Monday our estimation station showcases a container filled with something related to what we are learning. It is such a fun way to get your children THINKING and practicing real estimation skills.

So how does it work? Simply fill a container with like items, such as cotton balls or pretzels. Have each child record his or her estimation of the number of items in the container on a piece of paper (we like mini post-its). After each child has guessed, then we empty the container and count together to get an actual count.

The purpose is not to correctly guess the exact number, but rather to improve the child’s ability to guess a reasonable amount based on the size of both the items and the containers.

Some of my favorite things to put in our estimation station are:

Fall
Unifix cubes in fall colors
Leaves we have collected
Football-shaped erasers
Mini pumpkins or gourds

Winter
Cotton balls
Fake ice cubes
Unifix cubes in winter colors (blue and white for January; red, pink, and purple for February)

Spring
Gold coins for St. Patrick’s Day
Seeds or dry beans
Glass beads in spring colors
Cotton ball chicks
Plastic Easter eggs

Any time of the year:
Plastic toys (cars, dinosaurs, Legos)
Erasers (you can also showcase a theme, such as fruit-shaped erasers)
Pencils (unsharpened work best)
Rocks

BONUS learning activities after you have an exact count:

Compare the difference between your child’s estimate and the actual count
Ask your child to round to the nearest ten or hundred
Construct a graph of everyone’s guesses and the actual amount

What other ways can you use an estimation station with your children? Please share your ideas in the comments section!

Amy Michaels is a certified teacher with 11 years of elementary classroom experience who is actively homeschooling her own children. Her mission is share the best teaching methods and resources with all homeschoolers. Amy supports parents through her podcasts, webinars, and online training for homeschoolers on her website http://www.thrivehomeschooling.com.

September 18, 2015
by Evan-Moor
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Classroom Activities That Celebrate Autumn

Autumn brings cooler temperatures, falling leaves, apples, and football! Get free lessons from Evan-Moor resources that feature symbols of the season, including apple art and cooking activities, an apple shape book, a football player drawing and writing activity, an apple math activity, and a science unit about why leaves change color in the fall. These classroom activities are perfect for September and October.

From My Farm to Your House: Art and Cooking Activities
This unit provides directions and patterns for making a paper apple that shows the interior of the fruit with seeds, plus how to turn apples into applesauce. Recipe included! From Early Childhood Thematic Series: All About the Farm
Grades PreK–K

Apple Shape Book
The unit includes reproducible forms in the shape of an apple, plus directions for students writing at three levels, a short poem about apples, and literature connections. From The Ultimate Shape Book
Grades K–2

Johnny Appleseed and Apples
Included in this activity are a minibook about Johnny Appleseed, a math activity about adding numbers of apples, and a four-part sequencing activity about making an apple pie. From Seasonal Activities
Grades 1–2

Why Do Leaves Change Color in the Fall?
This daily science unit presents five activities in which students learn how chlorophyll and photosynthesis help plants make food and that leaves change color as chlorophyll disappears in winter. From Daily Science
Grade 3

An Apple a Day Writing Prompt
Students taste an apple and write words or phrases that describe how the apple looks, smells, tastes, feels, and sounds. Then students are encouraged to use some of the words in a poem frame and create a poem about apples. From Giant Write Every Day
Grades 3–6

Football Player (Draw Then Write)
This creative drawing and writing unit provides simple steps for students to draw a football player and then write a paragraph or story. The unit includes story prompts on multiple levels of difficulty. From Draw…Then Write
Grades 3–6

Additional Writing Ideas
Use these story starters and titles from Giant Write Every Day to add an autumn flair to daily writing prompts.

Story starters:

The best thing about fall is…
Pretend you are a leaf on a tall tree. Describe what happens to you when autumn comes. Tell how you change and how you feel.
Think of some interesting ways to use colorful fall leaves.
One crisp fall morning, I decided to take a stroll in the woods. I had no way of knowing that…

Titles:

How Fall Got Its Name
How to Climb a Tree
Why Leaves Change Their Colors (invent a legend)
The Year the Leaves Turned Purple
In the Squirrel’s Nest

For more ideas, see these blogs: How Watching Football with Your Child Can Be Educational and Apple Taste Test.

What are your favorite classroom activities to celebrate the fall season? Please share!

September 11, 2015
by Evan-Moor
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Apple Taste Test

There is one thing that comforts me while I grieve that summer is finally over, and it is a Honeycrisp apple. My mouth just is all kinds of happy when I taste that juicy, sweet, crisp bite.

Have you thought about doing a little apple taste test with your children this autumn? It is such a fun way to springboard so many learning activities!

To set up the taste test, simply choose at least 3 different apples to wash and slice for your children. Place each type of apple on a plate. Label each type of apple with a letter: Apple A, Apple B, Apple C.

Have the children close their eyes while you let them taste each of the apples separately. As they taste each apple, ask them to use describing words to tell about each apple.

After they have tasted all 3 apples, have them tell which is their favorite.

You don’t have to stop there. Here are some more ideas about how to turn that taste test into more learning opportunities:

Teach your children about adjectives and how to use a thesaurus. There are so many great describing words other than “good.”
Create a graph to show everyone’s favorite apple. If you are a homeschooler, then ask your family and friends which type of apple is their favorite to collect your data. You can make a graph of the responses.
Research where each type of apple is grown and why that climate is best for that type of apple.
Write a poem using all of the wonderful adjectives your children used to describe the apples.
Measure the circumference of each apple and compare.
Use the apples to teach about fractions. Cut them (carefully, please) to show 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8.
Read books about apples to learn about their growing season, life cycle, and tree care.

Now it is your turn. What is your favorite way to use apples to learn new skills? Please share your ideas in the comments section.

September 4, 2015
by Evan-Moor
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3 Easy Steps for Great Family Meals

With today’s hectic, over-scheduled lifestyles, the real challenge for most families is to make the family meal the rule rather than the exception. Here are three easy steps to help ensure your family enjoys some quality time around the table every week:

1. Aim for five family meals each week

Researchers recommend sitting down to an enjoyable family meal at least five times a week. That’s the number of occurrences found to have the most positive impact on a child’s health and well-being. Start tracking how many times your family eats together. If it’s less than five times each week, focus on adding one meal per week until you achieve this goal. If your family sits down to at least five family meals each week, congratulate yourself. You’re on track!

2. Plan to eat together

The most common barrier to family meals is busy or conflicting schedules, especially when parents have work schedules that allow little flexibility and kids have activities with strict attendance requirements. The solution is to treat family meals like any other important appointment. Find your calendar now, and schedule your family meals—remember, aim for at least five per week—to be sure you keep this important commitment.

3. Choose solutions that fit your schedule

If you can’t avoid scheduling sports practice, dance classes, or other activities for the kids during your typical dinner hour, plan a simple tailgate or bleacher dinner before practice. Remember, you don’t need to cook from scratch, dine at a fancy table, or eat from the good china. You just need to eat a healthy meal and enjoy each other’s company. If dinner is a challenge due to work schedules, consider scheduling regular family breakfasts to achieve your goal of at least five family meals each week. A Sunday morning family breakfast is an ideal, relaxing option. Get the kids involved. You may be surprised at their creative solutions.

Enjoy a great September!

Kathleen & Lorna
Co-authors of Eating for A’s

August 23, 2015
by Evan-Moor
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Recipes for Back-to-School: Two Ways to Make Lettuce Wraps

Evan-Moor employees have been sharing some of their favorite healthful recipes for busy school nights. Teera, in our Editorial department, shared two interesting takes on lettuce wraps! These recipes are quick to prepare and perfect for a healthy mid-week dinner.

Vegetable Lettuce Wraps

1 head iceberg lettuce
½ an onion, diced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated or pureed
2 Tbsp. fresh garlic, finely minced
2 cups mushrooms, chopped
1 cup shredded carrot
1 small can water chestnuts
2 celery stalks, finely minced
1 red bell pepper, finely minced
1 Tbsp. vegetable broth
2 tsp. hoisin
1 Tbsp. sesame oil (optional)
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. vinegar
red chili flakes (optional)
2 cups mung bean sprouts
scallions to taste, chopped
½ cup cashews or any other nut (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Rinse and separate lettuce leaves. Set aside to dry.
In a large pan over medium heat, sauté onion in the olive oil until soft.
Add ginger and garlic. Heat for 20 seconds.
Add mushrooms, carrots, water chestnuts, celery, bell pepper, and broth. Sauté for 5–10 minutes.
Stir in hoisin, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and chili flakes. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Stir in bean sprouts, scallions, and nuts. Then remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon an individual serving of mixture onto a lettuce leaf. Fold lettuce leaf over mixture and enjoy!

Serves: 6

Raw Tacos

1 head iceberg lettuce
1 tomato, finely diced
1 cucumber, finely diced
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 jalapeno, seeded, finely minced
2 Tbsp garlic, finely minced
½ bunch scallions, finely minced
½ cup walnuts or any other nut (optional)
a pinch red chili flakes
juice from 1 lemon or lime
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Salsa or taco sauce (optional)

Rinse and separate lettuce leaves. Set aside to dry.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
Spoon an individual serving of mixture onto a lettuce leaf. Top with salsa or taco sauce if desired.
Fold lettuce leaf like a taco or lettuce wrap and enjoy!

Serves: 4

August 19, 2015
by Evan-Moor
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Whale-Themed Classroom Activities: Spouting Good Work!

Humpback whale breaching in Monterey Bay. Photo courtesy of Nancy Black, Monterey Bay Whale Watch

Along the Monterey coast and near our corporate office, whales can be seen offshore as they migrate through the area. Inspired by our spectacular marine visitors, this post provides lessons and activities to help students learn about a variety of whales.

Whale Shape Book, Grades K–2
This shape book unit provides five reproducible forms in the shape of a fat whale, directions for students writing at three levels, a three-line poem, and literature connections. (From The Ultimate Shape Book)

Pocket Book on Whales, Grades 1–3
Students create a “pocket book” about toothed and baleen whales. Includes picture cards, whale haiku, minibooks, size comparison chart, and additional activities. You can pick and choose activities or have students complete the entire book. (From Theme Pockets, September e-book)

Whale Activity Pages, Grades 1–5
These ready-to-use pages include illustrations of ten types of whales, a whale skeleton, and a whale writing form. (From Giant Science Resource Book)

Life in the Ocean Pocket File Folder, Grades 3–6
This unit provides ideas, directions, and patterns for creating a science report about a marine animal, adaptable for whales. It includes ideas for a pop-up page, a minibook, a word web, and other activities. (From Easy File Folder Reports e-book)

Whale Bulletin Board
This link includes teacher directions and caption letters to create a fun bulletin board to display students’ work. (From Bulletin Boards Every Classroom Needs)

These whale-themed units were pulled from Evan-Moor’s online lesson library, TeacherFileBox. There are many more available, including whale-themed units from Reading Informational Text, Daily Science, Creative Writing Ideas, and more. Take a look!

For related ideas and free printables, see: Under the Sea Classroom Theme and Activities.

Follow Evan-Moor on Pinterest!

Contributing Writer

August 14, 2015
by Evan-Moor
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Easy Recipe for Busy Teachers: Kale Salad

At Evan-Moor, we’ve been preparing for back-to-school by focusing on healthful activities for stress relief, and our employees have been sharing some of their favorite recipes. We’d like to share these with you, too!

Here’s a recipe from Paul, who says this salad is great before a workout and is simple to make:

Kale Salad

Salad Ingredients:
4 C packed kale leaves (with spines trimmed off)
1/3 C currants or chopped raisins
1/2 C toasted pine nuts
4 T shredded parmesan cheese

Dressing Ingredients:
Juice of one lemon
1 T olive oil
1 tsp honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Chop or use food processor with cutting blade to process kale into small pieces. Mix salad ingredients in bowl. Mix dressing separately and then toss into salad. Let stand for 10 minutes and then serve.

Enjoy!

August 11, 2015
by Evan-Moor
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How Much Sleep Do Children Need?

It seems that while we adults know the necessity and joy of sleep, our youngsters do not.

According to the National Sleep Foundation:

Children ages 3 to 5 should get 11–13 hours of sleep per night.
Children ages 5 to 10 require slightly less at 10–11 hours of sleep per night.

On top of the number of hours, each individual has his or her own sleep pattern, meaning some might be naturally early risers, while others will struggle to get to sleep before a certain hour.

Sleep is categorized into two different types, each fulfilling a different purpose.

Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM): This is quiet sleep, which is when the blood supply to the muscles increases and tissue growth and repair happens.
Rapid Eye Movement (REM): Also known as active sleep. In this state, our minds are active, but our bodies are still. This is when dreams occur and breathing and heart rate become irregular.

When children reach puberty and adolescence, their bodies’ sleep cycles actually shift in time. While they need 8.5–9.25 hours of sleep, teens typically can’t get to sleep until 11pm or later. This mixed with the setup of school days means less sleep than necessary across the board.

In any case, a lack of sleep is bad news. Some tips on encouraging a sleep-friendly environment are:

Create a routine: Having a set bedtime routine signals to the brain that it’s time for sleep and allows for endorphins to be released.
Unplug 2 hours before bedtime: Studies have shown that children who disconnect from technology before bed get an average of one hour of sleep more than their plugged-in counterparts.
Have a snack: A light snack like yogurt or crackers can help keep bellies feeling full without overeating. Herbal teas like chamomile or lavender also promote a relaxed disposition.
Encourage independence: Children have active imaginations and at ages where they are still deciphering real from pretend, they may develop fears. To remind them that we still need to sleep, try a “monster spray” for their use or set a stuffed animal to guard their door.

It’s important to know our children’s sleep patterns. If things seem a little off, don’t hesitate to keep a sleep journal indicating when they go to bed, when they fall asleep, and for how long they sleep. This could give insight or be helpful when consulting a doctor.

For a quick double check, the National Health Service has this great webpage with a chart of average hours of sleep required for optimal health at a range of ages.

Karina Ruiz has four years of experience working with children for non-profit after-school programming for K–12 and four years of nanny work. She is currently a volunteer intern and attends California State University, Monterey Bay.